Response to an Entangled Humpback Whale in Southeast Alaska

On August 23, 2013 an adult humpback whale became entangled in a commercially-fished gillnet in Frederick Sound near Petersburg, AK. A local response team, trained and authorized by NOAA Fisheries, responded immediately and attempted to free the whale while it was still attached to the fishing vessel. Deteriorating weather and safety issues necessitated cutting the whale free of the vessel and standing down. However, the team attached a GPS-based satellite tag package to the entangling gear to monitor and thus relocate the animal for future efforts.